Is this real?
by Jynx'sbox
Summary: Kurama has a problem and asks Hiei for help. Wards, bad kitsunes and tramatized fire demons follow. Multiple song fic. Yaoi shonen ai. Oh what a tangled web we weave. K/H Kurama/Hiei
1. Chapter 1

Is this real?

Pairing: Kurama/Hiei, YokoK/Hiei, Kurama/OC

Rating: T

Warnings: Multiple song fic/ Implied yaoi/ Shonen ai/ Torture

xXx

"I need to speak to Genkai," several pairs of eyes blinked, "alone." The old woman sipping her tea in the far corner of the room remained sitting while Yukina, Kuwabara, and Yusuke left the room. Hiei didn't speak until he heard the small snap of the door closing.

"Kurama and I need your assistance." he stated as he took a seat in front of the aged psychic.

"What exactly do you need?"

"Wards, strong non-lethal ones." Genkai's eyes lifted and stared into Hiei's.

"What, may I ask, will you do with these wards?" Hiei bristled.

"What we do with them is none of your concern."

"They're for Kurama aren't they? The fox is in heat isn't he?" the fire demon snarled,

"Do not meddle psychic, now do you have them or not?" Genkai raised an eyebrow at Hiei's defensiveness but relented. His reaction had proved her suspicions and told her enough.

"Actually I think I have something that just might do the trick." she stood and disappeared behind the door to her right, "You'll need spark wards to keep him from using his plants to remove them." she came back and handed him two rectangular boxes before sitting back down. He took them, nodded his thanks then disappeared in a blur of black.

'I wonder what it would take to get that stubborn fire demon to admit that he loves that fox?'

xXx

Hiei stepped quietly into Kurama's room. The fox was sitting at his desk with his head in his hands.

"I don't know how much more of this I can take Hiei." His voice was raspy and low, Hiei knew he didn't have much time. He didn't respond to what the fox said but started to quickly barricade him in his room. He used the first wards to keep Kurama from touching the exits and the spark wards to keep his plants away. After he finally put the last one on the doorframe, Hiei turned and regarded the Kitsune sternly.

"Have you eaten?" Kurama managed a weak smile.

"I tried awhile back but I couldn't eat much. Don't worry, I'll eat in the morning." Hiei gave a curt nod before stepping back into the hallway. With a snap of the door closing all of the wards surrounding Kurama were activated. Wearily he made his way to the living room to wait for dusk. He'd promised Kurama he'd stand guard 'till morning to make sure he stayed in his room. Deciding that the fox wouldn't be a problem until nightfall, Hiei laid himself out on the couch to relax. He'd have to stay awake all night to keep an eye (or three) on his friend anyways so a nap before dark would be okay.

'Damn Mukuro and her stupid assignments. . .'

xXx

The fired demon's eyes snapped open at a sound coming from Kurama's room. A woman's voice accompanied by soft music by soft music barely cloaked the sound of his friend whimpering. Carefully he stood and looked into the hallway. The door was still firmly shut.

_Twisted this feeling walked out of shape  
So tired of revealing the moves that I make  
_

Releasing a breath he hadn't really noticed he'd been holding, Hiei took a few steps back and sat in Kurama's recliner seat. Looking up from the coffee table he read the numbers 8:23 on the clock's face. The summer sun had yet to set. Hiei knew he probably wasn't going to get anymore sleep now that he was awake so he rested his head on the recliner's armrest to think.

_And I know, yes I know, but is this real?  
And I know, yes I know, but is this real?  
_

He allowed the thoughts that had been bothering him leak into his consciousness. Moments, images and voices surrounded his mind's eye in a hurricane of confusion. He remembered conversations between him and the fox, those nights he would stop by to see Kurama purely out of habit. How they spoke of basically nothing through all hours of the night.

He thought of the safety of Kurama's home, of how many times he'd just appeared on Kurama's doorstep completely covered in blood and wounds. Hiei thought of how Kurama always helped him recover without asking for anything in return. Hiei even gave a tiny smile when he remembered how many times they'd fought over the stupidest of things and how Kurama usually won (self declared winner).

The smile left as quickly as it came, thoughts of the girl that had caught Kurama's eye also poured into his mind. The girl that basically occupied all of the fox's time, 'what was her name? Oli-something, oh what did it matter. I've never been good with names.' The fact was that Hiei didn't like the fact that his (only) friend was dating. He used to see Kurama everyday but now. . .

_Feeling inconstant could drive me insane  
Flesh to blood to bone to love  
_

The honest truth was that he hadn't seen the fox before yesterday in three weeks. Every time he tried to come by he sensed Kurama and the human together. Now Hiei couldn't sense WHAT they were doing but to be on the safe side he passed his home by. Days of this turned to weeks with nothing from Kurama, he didn't seem to notice his absence at all. That was what hurt the most, once again he was cast aside for something else.

What the hell did it matter, Kurama could date a hippo for all he cared. It was his damn decision to be with someone else. It wasn't his problem.

Hiei's eyes closed and he finally fell asleep curled up in the recliner.

The sound of shuffling woke him up again. It was well past sunset by this time and for a moment Hiei laid perfectly still. Gathering in his surroundings and allowing his eyes to adjust to the darkness he finally recognized where he was, Kurama's apartment. Blinking a few times, Hiei uncurled himself from his position. Stretching a few painful muscles, he turned his gaze to the clock beside the kitchen. It read 10:23 in bright neon numbers. Slowly he sat up and leaned over the armrest to peer into the hallway. The soft yet slightly muffled rhythm of the radio drifted through the blanket of darkness that obstructed him from seeing the door.

A flash of light and clap of thunder startled Hiei and for a brief moment before the rain started to fall, he could see that Kurama's door was in fact wide open.

xXx

Do you want to find out what happens? leave a review and you'll get the next chapter I promise.

Jynx


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2!**

xXx

Reviews are good, they make us authors think the crap we write is worth something. I was going to wait a few days before updating but since school is starting tomorrow I probably won't have time. So enjoy while it lasts. Oh, and I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho or the song "Is this real" by Lisa Hall.

Jynx

xXx

Hiei froze, confused and slightly scared he opened his jagan and scanned the room. Thankfully there was only Kurama and his own ki, but no matter how hard he tried Hiei couldn't pinpoint the fox. Garnet eyes darted around the room, things around him started to move, plants extended their branches and leaves until every exit was sealed off. He didn't move an inch but waited for Kurama to reveal himself.

_Twisted.  
_

There was complete silence outside of the gentle pitter patter of the rain. Hiei struggled to maintain control but found himself becoming drugged with Kurama's scent. His eyes fluttered slightly before closing, it was an absolutely intoxicating feeling. The ki that the fox was sending out was tainted with sensual energy and Hiei wanted nothing more than to give in to it.

The last of his common sense screamed that this was a bad situation and snapped him back into focus. Now out of his reverie Hiei spun around at the squeak of a floor board to see only darkness. He had to get out.

He flitted back to the couch where he'd left his cloak and sword. Imagine his surprise when they were both gone.

_And I know, yes I know, but is this real?  
And I know, yes I know, but is this real?  
_

Hiei froze at the sound of his sword being drawn behind him. The light from the street lamp outside barely filtered through the blanket of rain that bore down on the window and the plants that kept it closed. Slowly Hiei turned, his eyes landing on a tall silver form and the glint of his katana. The Youko bared his fangs in a wicked smirk a split second before he sent the solid black cloak flying at Hiei. He caught the garment easily but Youko was gone when he looked back up.

"Damn it Youko how the hell did you break the seal?" he took careful steps around wandering plants towards the kitchen, "I secured those wards myself so how the FUCK did you get out?" he reached blindly for the light switch in the kitchen and pulled his hand back with a curse when he touched tiny needle-like thorns.

_And I know, yes I know, but is this real?  
And I know, yes I know, but is this real?  
_

"I wouldn't go in there Hiei." the voice of Shuichi startled him, "I think I might have dropped a few seeds so be careful." The red head took small smooth steps out of the darkness of the hallway. The small amount of light that managed to enter the window illuminated Kurama's porcelain skin and blood red hair beautifully. Hiei's breath caught in his throat at the arrival of his friend but he turned his eyes away at the sight of all that bare skin.

_Is this real?_

"Get into some clothes you stupid fox, someone could see you." His tone was dry and almost taunting but did little to betray how unsettled he was. When he looked up again Kurama was still there, smiling softly at him, his eyes reflecting gold in the darkness of the room.

"Am I making you uncomfortable Hiei?"

"Stupid fox, can't even handle the pull of going into heat. You're weak Kurama." The red head rolled those golden eyes and looked towards the window. When he spoke his tone was soft,

"Why's your heart beating so fast Hiei? Are _you _afraid?" His eyes came to rest on Hiei again who retaliated with a glare, "Do I scare you Hiei?"

There was a sudden snapping sound and cry of pain as a plant that had been hiding in the kitchen stretched out and bit into Hiei's arm. With a muffled curse he ripped the jaws from the plant then pried his arm from it. Breathing heavily he chucked the bloody plant against the wall before standing. He cradled his wounded arm while he spun in circles, Kurama was nowhere to be seen.

_Twisted this feeling  
Flesh, blood, bone, love  
Twisted  
Twisted this feeling  
_

Hiei knew this was a game, It always was with Youkos. Promiscuous untrustworthy demons, to them sex was a game of cat and mouse. He knew that Kurama was toying with him, baiting him. The sad and humiliating part was that if the fox demon wanted him it was likely he couldn't stop him.

Hiei didn't want this to happen, Kurama wasn't aware of what he was doing. Once morning came it would be his (Hiei's) fault for not stopping him. (Hiei thinks Kurama would blame him when we all know he would blame himself.) But what could Hiei really do? It wouldn't be that difficult to escape but then Kurama would find release elsewhere. Probably the first person he came across, and humans didn't do too well when it came to demons in heat. They were known to die when they submitted to a demon's mating session.

The damn Youko knew Hiei wouldn't abandon him to sleep with a human because if Kurama hurt someone he'd never forgive himself. Hiei'd probably never forgive himself either.

_And I know, yes I know, but is this real?  
And I know, yes I know, but is this real?  
_

Kurama was in control, he'd made all the right moves and had Hiei cornered so he'd be a willing participant. But maybe there was something he could do.

Hiei didn't move when Kurama wrapped his long thin arms around his waist. After all, the Jagan had it's many useful abilities.

xXx

(Sorry guys but I'm only 16, I can't write lemons nor am I willing to ruin this story with a sad attempt at one. Use your imaginations and make up a really lemony scene and I'm sure you've come close to what I imagined.)

xXx

Hiei sat on the windowsill staring at the beautiful red head. This was really bad.

The fire demon moved his gaze outside, he could feel the warmth of the rising sun on his face. He wasn't completely worried about the fox waking up, last night had been really. . .

'NO! Stop thinking about it!' Hiei shook his head, the more he thought about it the more he didn't want to do what he had to do.

Slowly he stood up and walked over to the bed, with the utmost care he sat on the edge of the bed and removed the ward over his Jagan. Hiei wasn't a virgin, hell it was damn near impossible to find one in the Makai more so if they grew up with thieves. However, just because sex was generally (Openly) accepted in the Makai didn't mean that it was always wonderful. Living alone with somewhere between 30 or 40 (usually male) thieves had it's disadvantages.

Our loveable fox unfortunately didn't have this valuable information for one reason and one reason only, Hiei didn't like to talk about it. Which is completely understandable because demons are not all scum and have feelings just like the rest of us. So when Kurama had finally noticed that the fire demon hadn't moved a muscle he demanded to know why Hiei was so afraid of his touch.

_Flesh to blood to bone my love  
Twisted  
Twisted_

Hiei, being the stubborn person we all know him to be, gave him a defiant look and didn't respond. Kurama decided he didn't like his partner unwilling and set to making Hiei want this as much as he did, (use your imagination, I'm not telling what he was going to do.) but before he could really start Hiei gave a brief broad and completely void of detail description of what happened to him. Kurama remained silent for a moment while his desire hazed mind processed the information and came up with a then brilliant now idiotic solution.

He ran a long fingered hand gently through the spiky darkness of Hiei's hair while looking into his narrowed garnet eyes. With a blink he smiled at the fire demon's headstrong personality, even through the mindless lust of the Makai he'd managed to stay strong and not break like so many others.

_Is this real?_

He found that lounging on Hiei was quite comfortable despite the insistent growling and glaring from him. He also found the thought of someone else touching him quite repulsive, only he should be allowed to love the warm (and surprisingly soft) fire demon. (Somehow this all makes perfect sense in his mind). At that moment Hiei noticed the Youko's expression had turned completely serious. This (of course) freaked him out to the point of struggling to get away, which was entirely pointless because Youko is a very tall (he'd kill me if I say big) demon, much taller than Hiei, and was able to keep him pinned to the bed.

"I won't let anyone harm you ever again. You're mine now Hiei." and with that he released the fire demon's arms, turned his head to the side and sank his teeth into the smooth skin of his neck.

_Is this real?_

Hiei was not taking this well, not only was he being held down and about to be ravished by his best (only) friend but he was being marked too. Man was he in trouble. He started struggling, trying to get away. With a low growl he shoved up with all his strength. Youko also growled and pushed him back down to the mattress. Hiei took this as a challenge and started to kick, scratch and bite anything he could get a hold of. Youko, not used to being fought against, growled again and sank his fangs even deeper into his neck, making Hiei hiss in pain. When he finally gave in Youko began pouring his ki into Hiei through the wound.

To Hiei it felt like being dipped in a tub of soothingly warm water. All around him was this invigorating heat that made his body limp. He suddenly didn't want to fight it anymore, he wanted to be claimed, to be protected, which was a very strange sensation. (very un-Hiei like)

Once the bond was built Kurama pulled away, lips tainted with blood and his breathing harsh. Carefully he settled on Hiei like a silver darkness.

_Twisted_

Is this real? 

xXx

Hiei reached out and gently touched the mark Youko had left only hours ago. He'd only meant to help his friend not make matters worse.

Hiei's mind probed the fox's carefully and like a pair of scissors he cut away the memories of the encounter. He then fogged and blurred what he couldn't get rid of. If the fox remembered anything it would seem as if he were just dreaming. Finally he pulled back and closed the Jagan, there was nothing more he could do.

He knew the next few weeks would be hell for himself. Since he didn't mark Kurama back nor was he planning on sticking around for a daily dosage of his ki Hiei needed to break the bond.

Walking to the fox's desk he pulled out a small notepad and pen, as carefully as he could Hiei wrote;

_Fox,_

_Mukuro has called me back to the Makai._

_The wards break at dawn. I don't know_

_when I'll be back._

_Hiei_

He left the notepad and pen on Kurama's desk. Touching the fox one last time Hiei disappeared through the opened window.

xXx

Cliffhangers suck don't they? Leave a review at the door and please help yourself to the complementary cookies in the backroom.

Jynx


	3. Chapter 3

Is this real chapter 3

Rating: T

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho but I often wonder what would happen if I did.

'_I've never been fond of happy endings.'_

_Valerie DZ_

xXx

The first thing Kurama registered when he woke up was the cool breeze that ruffled his hair and sent chills down his spine. It carried on it a familiar scent that disappeared as soon as it had come to him. Shivering, he cracked an eye and haphazardly reached for a warmth he distinctly remembered existed last night. When his arm met cold sheets he sat straight up and looked around. What a strange dream.

Kurama slowly pulled himself out of bed, one sore limb at a time. He wasn't at all surprised to see his room a wreck and his clothes missing. Frowning at the open door and windows he called out for his friend before seeing a pad of white paper and pen out of place amidst the mess of books and papers on his desk. Slowly he padded over to the pad and lifted it with steady fingers. Recognizing Hiei's fast and barely readable handwriting instantly, Kurama smiled. So he had opened the windows, probably to give him some air.

"Thank you my friend." He whispered to the refreshing breeze that filled his room. Still smiling Kurama laid back down on the bed, perfectly content to let the mess lie there until he was rested enough to clean. Closing his eyes he dreamed of sweet fire demons and dancing Youkos.

xXx

_ring ring ring_

Kurama groaned, 'Who the hell is calling me now?' rolling over he glared at the radio that flashed bright red numbers at him. The storm had reset his alarm clock.

Picking up the phone and giving the talk button a moody push Kurama gave the politest greeting he could muster;

"Yeah?"

"Morning to you too sunshine, do you have any idea what time it is?"

"Olivia?"

"Are you really that surprised?"

"No, what time is it?" the woman on the other line gave a sigh.

"Twelve thirty." Kurama buried his face and gave a slight whimper. Rolling onto his stomach he gave a soft sigh.

"So, are you feeling better?" 'Feeling better? Oh! I told her I was sick.' Kurama smiled slightly.

"Yeah, I'm still a little groggy so I think I'll stay in one last day, just to be safe." He heard Olivia give a low laugh before saying goodbye;

"I love you. . ." Kurama's smile faded slightly, he tried to reply the way she wanted him to but memories of a distant fantasy were still clinging to his eyelids.

"I'll see you tomorrow." He said softly before hanging up. Turing back onto his back he relaxed and spent the rest of that afternoon thinking about soft skin and fiery red eyes.

xXx

The forest was dark and cold, the chill of morning clinging to his damp skin. Shivers erupted up and down his spine till he was shaking and struggling to stand. He'd spent a whole day and night in these woods and had lived a hell more horrible than the surgery for his Jagan eye. There was no comfort in staying away from Kurama, no true justifiable reason not to just tell him that it wasn't his fault and that he. . .

Hiei could feel the sting that told him he'd spent far too much time away from Kurama, a sudden sound startled him. Spinning he came face to face with an anxious blue faced demon.

"A-a summons, f-from Lord Mukoro." Hiei nodded and snatched the orb from it before it scurried away. He watched it disappear into the darkness of the lonely forest before breaking his summons against the bark of a gnarled dead tree. Mukuro's face looked distorted against the deep ridges on the old oaks surface but was commanding none the less.

"Hiei, your presence is required, return to the castle immediately." Brief, to the point and painless. Theirs was a strictly business relationship and showed no signs of escalading to something in any way romantic. That was something Hiei admired in her, she knew when to and not to be emotional. She knew to pull back before things got bad so she made an excellent leader, it also seemed to make her immune to love.

"Damn cyborg."

xXx

"What have you gotten yourself into this time Hiei?" a single blue eye roamed over the fire demon's sorry state. He had collapsed onto the floor and was fighting the constant and ever increasing waves of desire that seemed to crash into him. A feral voice in his head demanded it's lover while a softer calmer voice told him to fight for his freedom.

A darkness clouded his eyes, a darkness that made all but the pain fade away. Not even unconsciousness could save him from this. . . .

xXx

Kurama kicked at the remote, too pissed to bother picking it up. Why the hell had everyone chosen this day to pick on his friend when he was around? Kuwabara and Yusuke never seemed that interested in picking on Hiei when he wasn't around to receive the insults and retaliate in some very Hiei like way. The thought made him smile.

A knock on the door to his apartment distracted him from his daydreaming.

"Shuichi are you in there?" His mother, he had invited her and Olivia to spend the day with him and the others, to introduce the only two women in his life to his closest friends. When he'd gotten sick of hearing the constant jibes at Hiei Kurama had escorted Olivia and his mother to the car before chiding Yusuke and Kuwabara on their behavior. He'd left them there, almost completely thunderstruck at his protectiveness over the fire demon. He took his mother home and then his girlfriend before returning to his apartment in a bad mood.

"Did what your friends say about Hiei really bother you that much son?" _My mom knew Hiei, she'd met him during one of his afternoon visits to my window. His choice of entrance had raised a few eyebrows at home but as my mother grew to know him she began to realize that there were certain things Hiei did that were just him. His actions, thankfully, no longer needed an explanation. Mine, however, did._

_I opened the door and allowed my mom inside._

xXx

Cold, every where. Loneliness and fear. Where was the warmth he'd finally obtained after all these years? Kurama had opened a flood gate and now all he could do was fight for what he wanted. But what did he want?

xXx

"I guess I'm just worried about him, when I tried to contact him at his work they said he wasn't there." Shoiri looked to the ceiling in thought.

"So he lied to you."

"Yes but that's the problem, he's never lied to me before. If anything he's always been bluntly honest with me, that's why I'm so worried. What if he's in trouble?" Shoiri, understanding better than Kurama would have liked, offered him a reassuring smile.

"If you're so worried about him why not go looking for him?"

xXx

"To what do I owe the honor of this visit Youko?" Mukuro smirked at the red head before her. Kurama nodded and stepped forward,

"My visit concerns Hiei, have you heard from him recently?" Mukuro paused briefly before answering,

"Hiei has returned to his post. He's a bit busy now unfortunately and won't receive visitors," She looked up and gave him a tiny smile, "but I'll tell him you stopped by." There was an awkward silence that stretched out, seemingly echoing the last syllable of her words.

"Okay then, I was just concerned is all. Thank you for your time." Kurama turned to walk away,

"Funny thing that Jagan eye of his. . . ." He paused in step, Mukuro's pen never stopped scratching at the paper on her desk, "So many rumors of what it's capable of, so many stories. . ." Kurama turned to look over his shoulder at the woman, " Strange tales of Hiei as well." He listened intently to the silence that followed, she was trying to tell him something, but what?

Mukuro gave a weary sigh before continuing, "Imagine the resilience it takes to have such a device implanted in your body. Nothing else compares I'm sure, except. . . ." her voice carried off as she rubbed the bridge of her nose. Kurama turned to face the her and she looked up with tired eyes.

"I need to see Hiei."

xXx

I would write more but I'm still working out a few bugs in this storyline. I'll update as soon as I can.

Jynx


	4. Chapter 4

**Is this real?** chapter 4

Rating: T

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho or any songs I may use in this

'_I've never been fond of happy endings'_

_Valerie DZ_

xXx

Pain, wave upon wave of complete agony running through his body. It wasn't fair, it wasn't his fault, he didn't have a choice. He just wanted to help Kurama he just wantedtohelphisbest. . . .

Hiei's thoughts became muddled as another crest of pain crashed into his body, any desire or pleasure he might have experienced before was far gone only to be replaced by a torrent of longing and need. It was a dark and horrible reminder of how long he'd been alone.

During the highest peak of this constant torture Hiei couldn't stop the scream that was ripped from his throat.

xXx

Kurama was patiently following the two ogreish guards that were leading him to Hiei. Something had happened between him and the fire demon, that much was obvious. Mukuro had hinted that his blurry memories from that night were probably Hiei's doing, but for what reason would he think he had a right mess with Kurama's mind?

The Youko was startled by a scream that erupted from a room down the hall, recognizing the voice and hearing nothing but pain in the tone Kurama dashed pass the guards to the door he was positive it had come from.

"HIEI!" He tried to call through the door but received no answer, there was more silence as Kurama kept trying to reach his friend. He was pushed aside when the guards came to unlock the door.

When the door was opened Kurama ran inside and ignored the sound of the lock clicking closed behind him. The only thing the fox knew was that Hiei was in trouble and some how it was _his_ fault.

There, lying surrounded by a vast amount of mess and wrecked furniture was the tiny shaking form of the fire demon, but he was not alone. Sitting next to him was another demon that Kurama had never seen before. He sat with Hiei's head in his lap stroking the fire demon's hair gently. His pale skin seemed to glow in the darkness of the room and his dark violet eyes shined with an eerie light. Wrapped around slight shoulders was a silky black robe and cascading down his back was a mane of Pearly white hair.

"It's alright my little innocent." His pale white hand continued to run through the dark spikes, "So unknowing, so untainted, everything is alright now, I have you." In his lap Hiei laid trembling and wide-eyed. Kurama stood stock still in shock of what he was seeing. Slowly he came back to reality and went on the defensive,

"Who are you?" Slowly the figure's head rose and regarded him with a wink.

"Wouldn't the real question you want answered be what are you doing?"

xXx

"Lord Mukuro, we have an intruder. Should we dispatch the soldiers?" Mukuro looked up from her paperwork in mock concern.

"How on earth did he get in?"

xXx

"What are you doing to Hiei?" Kurama had taken a few steps closer. The dark clad figure ran a slim fingered hand down the fire demon's cheek and smiled.

"I'm giving him peace from the pain you put him through." Kurama's eyes grew wide.

"I didn't mean . . ." the demon shushed the fox.

"Shhhh, you're gonna wake him up." Looking down to Hiei's childlike face Kurama realized that he had fallen asleep. "You can't change what you did to him but you can do something that just might make up for it." Kurama looked up from the pain free face of his best friend, "You can go away, and never come looking for him. If you're around the bond will kill him but I have the power to take that pain away." He looked down to the peaceful face resting in the other's lap.

"You can't do anything that will help him you'll only hurt him. Let him go Youko." Kurama's face was wet with tears of guilt. He had done this to him, he'd caused him this pain. The demon gathered the small figure in his arms and disappeared into the shadows of the darkened room.

Kurama stood there overwhelmed and thunderstruck until Mukuro's soldiers lead him back to the ningenkai.

xXx

"Mukuro, was it such a good idea to get one of his kind involved?" The woman sitting at the desk to the far right of her guest merely shrugged.

"If the fox doesn't have the sense to save him then he is of no use to me and will surely die a painful death anyways. This way if the fox is as cold hearted as some believe Hiei will pass on with no pain." Yomi gave a tiny smile.

"I suppose this will be interesting to watch."

xXx

In the cool darkness of a room of an unknown place a pale figure robed in dark green silk was gently stroking the hair of the new hybrid he possessed. The little one was so young in mind, so oblivious to the outside world. His features like those of the ice mountain he was born yet his demeanor was so evocative of the fire demon who fathered him.

"You're so perfect my little one, you're mine now and I won't let you die in pain." The demon's soft, youthful voice filled every pore of Hiei's being and brought to him a sense of tranquility. Slowly he felt the tormenting memories of Kurama slip away to be replaced with a calm space of nothing. He didn't need to think anymore.

He was safe here and could move on in peace.

xXx

Kurama hadn't moved from where Yusuke had set him down in his apartment, the events of earlier playing over and over in his mind.

Hiei had been taken away because of him. That demon had taken him away and told him not to find him. Those purple eyes daring him to object.

Purple eyes? Not many demons had those eyes.

Kurama had to find out who that demon was, he had to find out what had happened between him and Hiei. Five minutes later he was on his way to Koenma's palace, determined to find out more about this demon who'd told him not to look.

xXx

"So the fox is going to look for him, and I was worried he wouldn't."

"There will be quite a bit of trouble when he finds him, I'm sure the cambion will not be all that willing to let Hiei go." Yomi placed the book on the halve demon Ippakuma back on the shelf of Mukuro's library.

"Does Koenma have a copy of this book?" Mukuro smiled

"I'm counting on the fact that he does."

xXx

"You said he had white hair," Koenma's golden eyes narrowed in suspicion, "and purple eyes." Kurama nodded, "He also said he would take away Hiei's pain." the fox nodded again.

"So why is Hiei in pain? What happened to attract such a demon?" Koenma frowned as he lead the spirit detective to a long shelving of books on various demons at the back of the extensive library.

"You know who he is?" The demigod paused as he pulled a book from a shelf that hadn't been touched in years.

"About twenty years ago we had an incident where a young cat demon was marked by a demon who died the next day. At first he was okay on his own but eventually the pain of being without his mate became too much." He paused.

"What happened to him?"

"He slowly began to die, death by bonding is never a pretty sight or wait but there was nothing we could do, then one day this demon shows up and the cat demon's pain just stops. The cat demon died a peaceful death and the mysterious demon just disappeared. Five years later another demon who refused to kill herself to be with her mate was visited by the demon and died a quiet death. I was suspicious of this demon of wonders so I asked my father about him and he gave me this book." Koenma handed over a small book. On the cover was the name Ippakuma and there on the cover was the demon that had taken Hiei away.

"Why is this demon after Hiei?" Koenma looked suspiciously at the fox demon who looked up in surprise. Kurama looked toward the only window in the remote part of the library.

"I really wish I knew."

xXx

'The cambion demon named Ippakuma has no known origins. . . . .' Kurama skipped ahead to more promising text, '. . .by feeding on the pain of others for survival he is technically a mutualistic parasite. . .'

_A parasite?_ Kurama kept reading 'As the pain sustains the cambion the victim dies a calm death. . .' Kurama skimmed over till a paragraph caught his attention.

'Ippakuma feeds off of the pain of those bound as a preference, stories suggest the incubus who conceived him bound his human mother for the survival of the unborn baby. Knowing the baby would feed off of her pain from his prolonged absence he took long periods away from the woman to ensure it's life would be sustained. Since his mother was human she couldn't mark the incubus back therefore was in constant servitude . . . .' Kurama's mind began to wander.

_Did I mark Hiei?_

"Is that why you want him Ippakuma? Because I was too stupid to see it before?" Kurama stood, there was no denying it now. A bond couldn't be forced which meant that Hiei had to have feelings for him. A sharp sense of guilt seemed to prick and infect his heart. Hiei loved him and he took advantage of him. Small moments that had been lost to him before began to resurface.

Several cloudy moments before the gaping hole in his memories began to clear. He had been in his room when he changed into his fox form and tried to remove the wards. His heat infested ki had pushed and pushed against the door and wards with no success. After basically giving up and starting to trash his room a familiar scent caught his attention.

Another heat, just out side the door, the wards began to sizzle at him as the energy outside pushed against the door from it's weaker side. Sensing the raw heat he also pushed against the door until with a final hiss the wards shriveled up and fell from the exit way. Hesitantly Youko pushed the door open and walked into the hallway. There was no one besides him and Hiei that he could sense and expecting a trap Youko took every precaution his desire hazed mind could muster. Looking around cautiously he made his way to the living room and looked to the fire demon on the couch.

Hiei was sleeping deeply and didn't seem to have sensed the change in atmosphere. Quietly Kurama moved forward and sat next to the fire demon, he was sweating and his energy pulsed with a bottled up pressure. These were the only indications of Hiei's heat, it was almost unbelievable to see someone with this much control over such a time as the heat.

Kurama tried hard to remember what happened after that but it didn't take much to guess. He'd opened a flood gate and Hiei would drown before he could close it.

xXx

I hope you enjoyed this, it took me awhile to figure out where to go with this after Kurama realized what had happened but I've got an idea of where I'm going now.

Thanks for reading and reviews are more than appreciated.

Jynx


	5. Chapter 5

Is this real? chapter 5

Rating: T

Disclaimer: I don't own anything besides the lint in my pocket.

'_I've never been fond of happy endings'_

_Valerie DZ_

xXx

Olivia didn't like the look Shuichi gave her when she questioned his whereabouts for the past few days. He was growing distant from her and his excuses were leading her to believe there was someone else.

"So, who is she?" Olivia finally had the courage to ask a day after they had fought over his being gone for days at a time. Shuichi acted like he couldn't hear her and kept on with his paperwork. "Shuichi, I'm talking to you, who is the other woman you're seeing?" When he looked up at her, his expression was blank.

"There is no other woman Olivia." With that he turned back to the paper he was signing.

"I don't believe you." She said, her voice small and held an edge of hurt, "If you're going to lie could you at least make it a little more believable?" Shuichi gave another sigh before turning in his seat to face where she was sitting on his bed, "When did it end Shuichi?" He couldn't help but give a blank smile.

"I'm not sure," He began, "maybe it. . ." but Olivia cut him off. Her eyes were wide and realizing, to her all the puzzle pieces just fell into place.

"It's not a woman is it?" Shuichi's eyes continued to stare into her own unfazed. She stood and moved toward the door, "You're. . ." Shuichi kept his gazed unnervingly fixed on the girl as she backed away from him, "That time, at the park, your friends talked about some guy. You got angry, so angry, you have to be, there's no other way." She trailed off, his green eyes still staring holes into her as she placed a hand on the doorknob of his bedroom. She became calm and dazed as he stood to face her, moving slowly he pulled her into his arms and just held her. Olivia didn't move, still in a sage induced trance, as he leaned down to whisper in her ear.

"I suppose this is it then, I shouldn't lie to you, you're too smart for that." He pulled away to see tiny tracks of tears were shinning on her face, "You're right, I am. I don't know when it happened but there is one thing I haven't lied to you or myself about. He is in trouble and he does need my help, I really wish you would believe me." He paused before starting a little slower this time, "I really do like you, but I'm in love with someone else, I'm sorry Livie, I really am." Olivia shook her head before leaving the apartment and Kurama, anger, fear and understanding giving her the strength not to go back.

xXx

Hiei's expression didn't waver as the tall figure behind him moved to hold him again, he didn't flinch as long arms pulled him into it's cold embrace. Hiei had stopped feeling things a long time ago.

After awhile the arms disappeared and Hiei was warm again. A dull thudding, like a long forgotten headache, began beating at the back of his mind. Then the figure came back and Hiei willingly pulled himself into the arms of the pain relief he needed so badly. Pale hands stroked his back and a heartbeat fluttered softly in his ear.

Hiei's eyes remained blank as he reacted to the cambion like a long lost lover found. Years of no contact had made a traitor of his body and he was too high on the pain relief to really react. He knew this was wrong, he knew this person wasn't who he wanted but what could he do.

He was tired of waiting for someone who didn't want him.

xXx

Ippakuma gently held the forbidden child in his arms, the pain of this one was seasoned with a childhood of grief and was sprinkled with a taste of unrequited love. It was perfect, he would miss this one when he passed on but until then he planned on taking what he could get while he could get it.

"My beautiful fallen one, you have never been loved have you?" Hiei's eyes reacted to that. His lips parted and a long held breath was released along with softly uttered words.

"Once. . .someone said. . ." Hiei's eyes started to come into focus, Ippakuma pulled him into his arms and started to sing softly. The fire demon calmed down and his gaze became glazed once more.

_But   
it's a dream  
when you seem  
to be walking into the sun   
we're on first  
unrehearsed  
and we still don't know what we've done  
so we don't say anything.  
_

xXx

Koenma opened a door way to the netherworld, the space beneath the Reiken that was only inhabited by creatures of strange circumstances. They mostly kept to themselves and only came out when they needed sustenance and usually didn't cause much of an uproar.

The space they inhabited was unnamed because it had only been discovered a few hundred years ago and wasn't easily reached until recently. Now here he was, opening a gateway to this very unexplored realm to find one of his detectives. If his father found out he was doing this Koenma was going to. . .

"Is everything ready?" The demigod turned to see Kurama standing behind him. Reaching into his pocket Koenma pulled out a small round device.

"I can't track him while he's in there but I can track you with this." Handing Kurama the tracker Koenma continued, "When you find him or need to get back just hit the red button and I'll open a portal back here. Got it?" Kurama nodded and took a hold of the device. It was small, just the size of him palm and shined with a green light. Sensing his curiosity Koenma took the device from him and turned it over.

"The light can only be seen by the one holding it, your best bet for staying out of trouble in this place would be to stay in the dark places only when you're alone, when others are near you get into any light you can find, these creatures live in a place of darkness so be assured they are sensitive to light. You won't be able to find Hiei in the light but with this green glow you can at least see where you're going in the dark." Kurama nodded and reached for the tracker, but Koenma held it just out of his reach.

"Kurama, we have yet to fully explore this realm, are you sure you want to do this alone?" Kurama took back the device and stepped near the gateway.

"I need to find him and prove that I am willing to do this for him. It was my stupidity that put Hiei there so it's my responsibility to find him and bring him back." Koenma sighed and pointed to another button on the tracker.

"Very well, you know we haven't explored this place as much as I would have liked but seeing as how you're gong there anyways I might as well show you this," Koenma pushed the button and a bright light filled the room,

"this tracker also absorbs light so when you're in the dark and can't find any just use this, it should be bright enough to stun them and give you a chance to get away, but be careful. As much as it hurts them the light also attracts their attention." Kurama nodded and moved to step into the netherworld, Koenma stopped him.

"If it runs low then you're out of luck because these things only work once in the dark and that's it. When you have a chance run away, I don't know what effect your powers will have on them or if it'll effect them at all." Kurama nodded again before holding the device close to him. Koenma nodded his go ahead and Kurama stepped into the darkness.

'I'm coming for you Hiei.'

xXx

"How did you manage to meet such an interesting character as Ippakuma Mukuro?" The woman smiled at her guest as he watched the screen with interest. Kurama was running through the dark place with nothing other than a green tracker glowing softly in his hand as his guide.

Creatures, either watching him with boredom or great interest, studied him from afar, their eyes shining like the gaze of a crocodile. Some followed, waiting to see what would happen if he found whom they were sure he was looking for. Ippakuma wouldn't be all that willing to release someone he was feeding on and wouldn't hesitate to feed off this one if the opportunity arose.

"I once had a commanding officer who was marked and left to die when her mate was killed. He came for her and ended her pain where the rest of us could not." Mukuro frowned at the screen when the fox ran into a ray of light after realizing he was being followed, "He told me we would probably be seeing a lot of each other, he surprised me when he said that. I wasn't sure what he meant."

Yomi smiled at the woman and turned to look at the screen once more. Kurama was running through the dark again, his rose whip out and finger ready to hit the light button if need be.

xXx

Well I only got one review for chapter 3 and one for chapter 4 so I'm thinking some of you people don't like where I'm going with this. Well that's a shame because I worked really hard on it and you people could at least review to say you hate it.

Thanks for at least reading it.

And a special THANK YOU to the people who did review. It really means a lot to me and keeps me motivated.

Jynx


	6. Chapter 6

**Is this real?** Chapter six

Rated: T

Disclaimer: I don't own YYH or any of the songs I've used in this story.

"_A person is smart, People are stupid"_

xXx

Kurama stopped to breathe, his heart pounding in his chest. The faint traces of the bond tugging him in a direction of blackness, leading him to Hiei. Every once in awhile Kurama would see the glowing of eyes watching him but whatever were out there kept to themselves and did nothing but follow him towards Ippakuma.

Hunched over, breathing harshly and giving a determined sigh Kurama started up again. Running in a direction he hoped lead to Hiei.

xXx

Whispers blew in and out of his range of hearing, one voice was familiar and sounded angry. Arms would tighten around his torso and he would hear words he could actually understand.

"He can't have him, he's had his chance and now Hiei's mine. Tell the others to stand guard for the Youko, I won't let him take my fire demon away." When Hiei heard what the being holding him was saying he felt a sort of nausea in the pit of his stomach.

He felt so weak now, like all of the energy had been leeched out of him. Before he'd at least been able to move but now all he could do was lie limp in this person's arms.

"Youko. . ." He muttered with great effort. He knew this person, he knew that name, "K kura ama?" His vision began to clear and the dull throbbing began beating at the back of his head.

"Get out, your presence is making him aware!" The voice snapped, as Hiei began to shift away from the source of his discomfort two strong arms pulled him back and a sweet voice lulled him into euphoria.

_If I apologized  
it wouldn't make it all unhappen  
wouldn't make the darkness go away  
If I apologized  
it wouldn't mean I was forgiven  
wouldn't mean you wanted me to stay  
_

xXx

He could hear them, right behind him. The growls of creatures he could not see were menacingly close to the back of his neck. The voices were deep and rumbling , sending shivers down his spine as he ran. It seems Ippakuma realized that Kurama was coming for his mate.

"I won't let you have him." Kurama whispered fiercely, "He's mine and I will get him back." With that thought he continued to run, dodging possible attacks in his attempt to reach Hiei before his clock ran out.

xXx

"Do you think he'll make it?" Yomi asked as he watched Kurama dodge yet another attack by one of Ippakuma's lackeys. Mukuro looked on with a slightly amused expression on her face.

"I suppose it's possible, then again he's still got a long ways to go before he reaches Ippakuma's territory." Yomi turned to Mukuro, his expression puzzled.

"Are you at all worried about you successor?" Mukuro looked into sightless eyes, she examined the face of her guest before turning to look at the screen. Kurama's whip flashed through the air, slicing two monsters apart.

"More than I'd like to admit."

xXx

The green light continued to glow as Kurama ran harder through the inky black area he was navigating. Hiei was close, so close he felt if he reached far enough into the darkness he could touch him. A deep longing erupted in Kurama's chest that made him ignore the pain and lack of oxygen.

"Hiei." he breathed as more of the monster's joined his run, he was winded and growing weaker by the second. His energy was fading even faster as they closed in all around him. "No," He huffed as he dodged more and more attacks, monsters leaping out at him from seemingly nowhere, "I can't stop now, Hiei is close, he's so close." A moment later the tracker was knocked from his hand and skidded across the floor to reflect the eyes of the creatures watching Kurama receive blow after blow. His whip lashing out blindly against the night vision monsters attacking him, he was losing. . . .

xXx

Hiei could feel it, a sharp pressure shooting up and down his body, the pinch of his lungs as if he'd run for miles and miles.

"_Hiei. . ."_A soft, sweet voice whispered in his mind, _"No. . . . .I can't stop now, Hiei is close, he's so close."_ then the uncomfortable feeling returned, the pain was gone and the arms around him tightened. Something was reaching out for him, something needed him. . . . some_one_ needed him.

"kurama. . ." Hiei whispered softly, that name that made shivers of pain run through his body. Just then the cambion holding him cupped his face in his hands roughly.

"_What_ did you say?" Purple eyes looked pierced through the clouds blocking his vision. Hiei gave a smug smirk.

"Kurama." Ippakuma snarled at the weak fire demon before shoving him to the floor in a small heap and walking away.

"Let's see how much you love your precious Kurama after you've experienced the pain he gave to you when he cast your love aside." Almost on cue waves of agony more head splittingly painful than the first crashed onto his entire form. This time Hiei didn't bother trying to stop the screams and shrieks that rushed out of his parted lips.

xXx

"_kurama. . ."_ It was so soft Kurama almost didn't hear it. Hiei's voice amidst the growls and snarls all around him.

"_Kurama. . ."_ And then there it was again, stronger this time, the fire demon was calling out to the red head from within the black cloud Ippakuma had surrounded him in.

With a burst of energy he didn't know he had, Kurama brought his whip down with a loud _CRACK!_ Four monsters down, countless more to go. Glowing eyes glittered as Kurama struck down again and again bringing down handfuls of his opponents at a time.

Kurama was startled when he heard Hiei scream. It hit a spot inside him that made Youko growl in fury. With a flash the silver fox demon stood where the red head had been only moments before. His golden yellow eyes catching all traces of light, allowing him to see the thick mass of monsters blocking his path.

"Get out of my way or be eaten by my plants." He stated coolly to the charging monsters, none of which spared him a second before he was surrounded once more.

"Worthless imps." He muttered while pulling a blue seed from his long silver hair. From it erupted the death tree, whose branches snapped and hissed before launching forward to devour the moving targets.

The gates to Ippakuma's territory were filled with the pain filled shrieks of the monsters being ripped apart limb to limb.

xXx

The inside, however was echoing with the sounds of Hiei struggling to remain conscious through the torture of the bond. His voice was raspy and worn from screaming and was all but gone from him.

'_I have to stay awake, Kurama's coming, I have to stay awake. . .'_ Another mountain of pain filled his every pore as Ippakuma ran back to where Hiei was and gathered him in his arms. He didn't take away the pain, but instead ran a finger down his cheek before kissing it softly.

"I'm going to loose you aren't I Hiei?" Ippakuma said in a hushed voice with tears streaking down his face, "He's going to take you away from me isn't he." At that moment a tall silvery white form appeared behind the crying cambion. Ippakuma sobbed and held Hiei closer as Kurama approached them, his steps smooth and even.

When Kurama reached them he changed back knowing the cambion had no power over him. He then grasped Ippakuma's shoulder and turned around. Watery purple eyes, stared into his own before looking down to Hiei's still form in his lap.

"You're too late Youko." Kurama quickly pulled Hiei from the other, whom was laughing insanely with his victory. Cradling the limp body in his arms Kurama bit into the fire demon's neck, right over the previous mark and started pouring his youkai into his body.

"I've won the little demon after all!"

xXx

No this is not the end, I dare anyone to take a guess at what I'm going to do after this.

I'm honestly surprised my ending comment in the last chapter got me so many reviews. Thank you all so much, it's nice to know you really like this story.

Jynx


	7. Chapter 7

Is This Real? Chapter 7

Rating: T

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters I so brutally mock in my stories.

"_A person is smart, people are stupid."_

xXx

Kurama held the fire demon close, Hiei still wasn't moving. Giving a small scream against the demon the fox pulled his mouth away to simply bury his face in the warm skin of his neck. Hiei was still warm, but his heart had stopped beating. When Kurama lifted his head to look at the young youkai he was faced with two almond shaped eyes. Hiei had died with an open gaze, the sign of a lost soul.

"Hiei, I'm so sorry," Kurama sobbed at the small body in his arms, "I'm sorry I'm so sorry!" In the background Ippakuma continued to laugh insanely at his victory, his long white hair was tangled and matted, violet eyes were wide and his body was shaking with the sound of his voice. Kurama could not hear the laughter though, he could only look into pretty garnet eyes dimmed with death, he could only gently touch soft skin and wish with every fiber of his being that those mesmerizing orbs would light of with the fire he had always secretly burned for.

Hiei was dead, and it was Kurama who killed him.

xXx

Koenma was worried, Kurama had been in the dark plane for several hours now and neither button had been pressed. In fact the tracer had stopped moving completely.

"Boton, I need you to go get Yusuke and Kuwabara. I think Kurama might need some help."

xXx

Yusuke and Kuwabara had seen many interesting sights in their days as spirit detectives, but nothing could prepare them for what they saw when they were teleported to where Kurama had left the tracker. They were surrounded by a blanket of inky blackness, and upon reaching down Yusuke's hand brushed something hard, wet, warm, and sticky. When he found the tracker the dark plane erupted in a burst of green light.

There were dead bodies everywhere, each one bearing familiar slashes seen so many times when fighting along side the kitsune named Kurama. Arms, legs, torsos and heads were scattered around what appeared to be a doorway.

"Man," Kuwabara said, his eyes reflecting his shock, "did Kurama do all this?" Yusuke inspected the door with a seriousness he would so rarely show.

"I guess there's really only one way to find out."

xXx

Yusuke found he couldn't breathe when he and Kuwabara finally found where Kurama was. The fox was sitting on the floor cradling a limp Hiei in his arms while a white haired demon sitting some ways off, was laughing violently, screaming that he'd won. When he saw the other two detectives he abruptly stopped, gave a wide grin then disappeared into the thick fog of shadows behind him.

With the laughter gone there was no hiding the sobs coming from the red head holding Hiei, Yusuke and Kuwabara ran to their friends before pressing the button to call for a portal back. When Yusuke tried to pull the dead demon away from the fox Kurama grabbed his arm a sank his fingernails into his wrist.

"I killed him Yusuke," the kitsune looked up to face the detective, "I killed Hiei." Yusuke was surprised to see no sadness in Kurama's expression despite the tears, but what really shocked him was the lack of _any _obvious emotion on his face.

"We're going to get you home Kurama but I need for you to stand up, can you do that?" Kurama stared at him for a moment before rising to his feet, still clutching Hiei. He moved towards the portal with definitive grace and a blank expression. Yusuke and Kuwabara could think of nothing else to do besides follow him.

xXx

Koenma had sent Yusuke to take Kurama back to his apartment, Kuwabara sat on the couch in the corner of his office still absorbing the events of the past few hours. It was hard to believe the fox hadn't made it in time, Kurama had always had a knack for arriving just when you needed him.

"Why did Kurama say that he killed Hiei?" Kuwabara finally mustering up the courage to ask the question that had been on his mind since he'd come back from . . . well . . . wherever it was he had been.

"Can this wait till Yusuke gets back Kuwabara? I'd rather not answer any questions more than once and I'm sure he's wondering the same thing you are." the carrot top huffed and mumbled something about Yusuke hurrying up and getting back. Roughly five minutes later Yusuke walked in looking slightly put out.

"I think Kurama's still in shock of what happened in there. He keeps mumbling that he killed Hiei." The spirit detective gave an exhausted sigh before plopping down on the couch next to Kuwabara and leaning back. "He had blood on his mouth, and Hiei had a bite mark on his neck." He sat up to stare Koenma down, "Did Kurama kill Hiei?"

"In a way, yes."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Koenma sighed and rubbed his temple,

"It means that although Kurama had no original intension to kill the fire demon his actions were the primary cause of death." Yusuke leaned forward, placing most of his weight on his knees.

"Today's been rough on all of us Koenma so could you please quit beating around the bush and just tell me what the hell is going on?" The detective was losing what little patience he had and Kuwabara was too shocked to speak.

"About three weeks ago Kurama went into heat." Yusuke's head shot up, Kuwabara's eyes went wide, "He asked Hiei to guard him and make sure he didn't leave his bedroom. To the extent of my knowledge he found a way out and marked Hiei." Kuwabara sputtered.

"Wait a second, how can a person just go into heat? I thought only animals did stuff like that." Kazuma winced as Yusuke smacked him upside the head. "What the hell'd you do that for?"

"Use your head for once Kuwabara, what kind of demon is Kurama?" the human looked up in thought.

"Uhhh, isn't he a fox demon?"

"Exactly, now do foxes go into heat?"

"Yes." Kuwabara responded hesitantly, not wanting to receive another blow if his answer was wrong.

"For future reference Kuwabara, most demons go into heat around this time of the year. And though a majority of those demons don't every year, those that are of animal spirit do." Koenma gave the human a tired smile, "The reason Kurama only got his after sixteen years is because of his human blood and body."

"OH, I get it now, but why did Hiei let him bite him?"

"I don't know."

xXx

Kurama found himself on his bed, lying down. He listened to the sound of Yusuke's footsteps and the click of his front door closing. When he was sure the detective was gone Kurama sat up and pulled himself out of bed. He walked to his window and opened it to the cool night air. Through the glowing white branches of the beautiful sakura tree that sat next to his apartment building shined a silver moon and glittered thousands of tiny stars.

Kurama smiled as a small cool wind gently blew his hair, rumpled his dirtied shirt and cooled the hot tears pouring from his dark green eyes. Blood the color of his hair still stained his slightly parted lips and the memory of that liquid fire still clutched him. Everything about Hiei had been hot and fierce, the fire demon was so accurately meined in his body and movements. The way he was built like the ember of a flame, small but intense in it's dangerous potential.

But out of all the smaller details Kurama loved Hiei's eyes the most, he loved how the majority of it was a deep firebrick color while just around the pupil was a ring of red so dark it could barely be distinguished next to the black. There was an outer ring of alizarin crimson and flecs of rust red and sangria that made the firebrick really burn. His eyes were like him, scorching hot coals that sucked you into their inferno and wouldn't let you go.

Kurama couldn't feel that heat anymore, now all he could feel was a cold so like the longing for warmth that filled his heart. This must have been how Hiei felt when he was with Ippakuma, cold and empty.

"Hiei. . ." Kurama called out to the tree, the tree that his fire demon would inhabit during those cool summer nights until the fox could convince him to come inside, "I love you."

Just saying it made him feel better, like a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders and fresh air had finally filled his lungs. Slowly the cold started to ebb away, the wind died down and he could feel those embers start up in him. Kurama looked at the moon again with halve closed eyes, it shinned on him, glowing like a glass reflecting everything he didn't want to be. It was cold and distant, unknowing and hard.

Slowly a warmth caressed him from the inside out until he could almost feel small hands running through his hair, melting the cold shell around his body. Garnet eyes burned under his eyelids when he closed them and something deep inside told him to stop fighting it. So he did.

Hiei was here with him, his ki surrounded Kurama until he felt like he was actually on fire from it. Somewhere in the heat thin arms pulled him away from the window and lowered him to the floor. Then a warm weight settled over him and touched his cheek.

It had been a soft touch, like the brush of a pair of lips and when Kurama opened his eyes he found he wasn't in his room anymore but someplace he'd never seen before. If Hiei was a place this would be it, it was burning with an flame so intense the fox was sure if he touched it he would die. He looked up to see a small black shape on it's hands and knees above him, the fire behind it making it difficult to make out. Familiar scarlet red eyes burned into his own and closed as the figure leaned down towards his neck.

Kurama knew who it was, and willingly turned his head to give him more access. It was a sign of submission and love for the one gently kissing him in warning. Kurama closed his eyes when the fire demon pulled back slightly before moving in to mark the fox.

Kurama gave a slight whimper when Hiei bit into him but afterwards he found the fire that he'd known only once before was even hotter when felt a second time.

xXx

Mukuro watched the fox sink to the floor for a moment before turning off the screen, Hiei and Kurama would be together even if it meant they had to die. Smiling she found something inside of her seemed to die right along with them.

She resolved to not say anything of the fox's death, the detective would find out tomorrow when he went to check on him. By then there would be no revival for Kurama, she was sure they wouldn't even be able to find either of their souls when morning came.

Yomi chuckled on the couch, Mukuro turned to see his blind eyes turned towards her and the screen.

"So the Youko is dead." Mukuro nodded and sat down. She didn't need to voice it, anyone who knew the truth of demon bonding understood although Kurama could fight it and survive he could still choose to die. After several moments of silence Yomi spoke.

"I'm sure Koenma knows, it's the only explanation for the detective's presence in the spirit world. If he told Yusuke that Kurama could kill himself he'd be in the human world now."

"Or maybe Yusuke understands that he couldn't stop Kurama from giving up even if he wanted to." Yomi smiled at his host.

"I suppose."

xXx

Kurama fastened his arms around his mate, even in the aftermath was he unwilling to let go. They belonged to each other and not even the grim reaper herself could tear them apart. Hiei sat up to kiss the fox and take away some of the cold . Hiei had needed that ice like sensation, it chilled the feral heat that raged inside of him and quenched the thirst for affection he'd been parched for all his life.

"I love you," Had been Kurama's mantra since he'd arrived, like he had to convince Hiei that his devotion was real.

"And I you," Hiei would murmur back between kisses and other things. There was no worry of what would happen or who would get hurt. They would face it together. . .

"_. . . Forever . . ."_

xXx

I think this is the end. (Looks around to see empty computer desks) I am assuming you all left after you found out that Hiei died right? (Sees a horde of angry fangirls coming with sticks and shovels) AHHHH! I'm sorry!

Review and I'll love you forever

I think this is the most popular story I've written.

Jynx


End file.
